This unit of competency covers identifying strategies for more sustainable uses of resources. The unit includes the identification of waste (muda) as part of a strategy for achieving better sustainability outcomes in a process as well as quantifying theoretical and actual resource (including energy) consumption.This unit applies inside organisations and their value chains and specifically applies to the use of resources as part of an overall response to improving sustainability. The unit has been developed with manufacturing operations as a focus. However, because of the range of organisations in a typical manufacturing value chain it may also be applied to other types of organisations.The unit assumes that a decision to attempt to achieve more sustainable use of resources has already been made. The unit covers the skills needed for developing a strategic approach to resource use at the organisation or value chain level. The unit does not cover the technical skills required to implement specific initiatives that may be identified as part of the strategic plan. However, there is a requirement to present and organise data. The complexity of this requirement will vary according to the type and scale of the organisation’s processes. Where the carbon footprint (or water footprint or similar) of an enterprise or value chain is known, the unit can be applied to developing strategies for the reduction of that footprint. A manager or technical specialist who has a major responsibility for sustainability as part of a broader work role would typically undertake this, or sustainability may be their primary work responsibility.For specific techniques covering the auditing of water, energy, emissions and transport, refer to relevant sustainability audit units.No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.